BLOOMINGTON — As the Bloomington-Normal community reels following gunfire that left four people dead last weekend, law enforcement leaders and advocates have taken a look back at the last year of gun violence in the Twin Cities.

"Gun violence is something we have historically taken very seriously," McLean County State's Attorney Erika Reynolds said in a recent interview with The Pantagraph.

An analysis of shooting data shows McLean County saw an increase in shots fired incidents last year compared to 2023, with more of the incidents resulting in death than the previous year.

Information came from the Bloomington and Normal police departments and the McLean County Sheriff's Office as the result of Freedom of Information Act requests, interviews with law enforcement and The Pantagraph’s previous reporting.

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In 2024, the McLean County Sheriff's Office reported 12 confirmed shots fired incidents, while Bloomington Police reported 37 and Normal Police reported 26, making a total of 75 incidents across all three agencies.

Despite the increase in gunfire, law enforcement leaders said the escalation is not particularly concerning in the context of the last five years.

Bloomington and Normal police said the numbers have stayed consistent since 2020, after record high numbers of gun-related homicides in 2018.

In the last five years, Bloomington-Normal has averaged 53.8 shots fired incidents per year between the two municipalities.

For 2024, police leaders also noted fewer of the confirmed incidents resulted in non-fatal injuries, as compared to previous years.

In Bloomington, four people were injured by gunfire in 2024, down from nine in 2023 and 15 in 2022.

One of the four incidents was a negligent discharge, in which a person unintentionally shot their own chest, Bloomington Public Information Officer Bryce Janssen told The Pantagraph.

"They have all resulted in arrest. Some of them are still under investigation, and we expect to see more arrests in the future," Janssen said of the shootings involving non-fatal injuries.

In Normal, Chief Steve Petrilli noted an increase in what the department classifies as "gun-related incidents," specifically toward the beginning of the year.

However, Petrilli said incidents continued to decline after the summer.

Sheriff Matt Lane noted the county saw a marked increase in fatal shootings.

Sheriff Matt Lane discusses 2024 gun violence on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, at the McLean County Sheriff's Office.

"It's out of the ordinary for us to have a homicide," the sheriff said. "We've had several since I came in office (in 2022), averaging one over eight years or so for the last 20 to 30 years. We've had four in the last 16 to 18 months, so that is odd."

Law enforcement and prosecutors all noted young adults who have been involved in gun violence are interacting more frequently with juveniles, leading to gun-related criminal behavior starting at young ages.

However, since 2018, numbers remained fairly consistent, between the primary age group of those involved with gun violence and the frequency of gun-related incidents, they said.

According to law enforcement officials, that age group ranges from early teens to early twenties, with most of the perpetrators between 18 and 22.

Reynolds, Janssen and Petrilli all noted 2018 as a particularly bad year for gun violence, when the Twin Cities had 11 homicides, nine of which involved guns. However, Bloomington-Normal only reported 19 confirmed gunfire cases that year.

The last week has also been marked by a streak of deadly gunfire, starting Feb. 23 when four people were found dead inside a Bloomington home. Authorities said evidence indicates Christopher H. Simmons, 33, of Bloomington, killed the other three with multiple gunshots before turning the weapon on himself.

Their family and friends have said they were victims of domestic violence, urging others to seek help if they experience violence in the home.

Mourners light candles Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, during a vigil outside a home in the 900 block of North Lee Street in Bloomington for four people found dead inside on Sunday.

Two days later, Bloomington police responded to reports of a person being armed in the area of Arcadia and Fairmont drives. There they found 15-year-old Cole L.M. Turner, of Normal.

“As the call for service progressed, the officer(s) fired their duty weapon(s) and the subject was struck,” Bloomington police said in a prepared statement Tuesday.

Turner suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. Limited information has been released about what led to the shots being fired.

Illinois State Police is investigating Bloomington's use of deadly force.

Three homicides reported in 2024

Just before Talaina Matthews marked the two-year anniversary of her son's death, she reflected on the prevalence of gun violence in Bloomington-Normal and her own ongoing grief.

"No amount of time would be enough time," said Matthews, mother of Kiejoun Watts.

In March 2024, Desmond Sterling was convicted of first-degree murder for fatally shooting Watts the previous year. Prosecutors said Sterling lured Watts out of town on Feb. 20, 2023, and shot him behind Victory Church, on U.S. Route 150 southeast of Bloomington.

After two years without her son, Matthews said, "Everyone sees you as a person they want to help. I say I'm OK, but I lost my child and he's never coming back. I'm not OK."

In the first two weeks of 2024, McLean County saw its first gun-related death in the fatal shooting of Daniel J. Shelby, 41. Shelby suffered multiple gunshot wounds inside his Ellsworth home the morning of Jan. 10.

His wife, Desiree Robertson, 39, was taken into custody that day and charged with first-degree murder in his death . She remains in McLean County custody and is scheduled to be back in court March 5 for a pretrial hearing.

Members of Shelby's family told The Pantagraph they were not interested in commenting at this time.

His family and the sheriff said they were unable to discuss details of the case while it remains pending.

On May 29, a Grove Elementary teacher was shot and killed in her home, the second fatal shooting of 2024 that McLean County authorities said involved domestic violence.

Normal police said Amy Moore, 48, was likely shot to death by her ex-husband, Matthew Moore, 46, of Bloomington, before he turned the gun on himself.

The surviving members of the Moore family did not respond to The Pantagraph’s requests for comment.

Then, on Sept. 29, Randall E. Glass, 18, of Oak Lawn, was killed in a shooting during a large party that coincided with Illinois State University's homecoming weekend , in which he suffered multiple gunshot wounds .

A second man was injured in the gunfire, too. He survived but was disabled as a result of the shooting, police said.

In December, Normal police arrested Donye Arrington, 19, of Chicago. He is charged with murder and other weapon charges in the Glass' death.

The entire shooting was caught on video surveillance , which police said they used to identify Arrington.

He remains in custody and will next appear in court for pretrial hearing on April 8.

Glass's family could not be reached for comment.

Although it was not reflected in data provided by McLean County agencies, another fatal shooting took place Feb. 24 on Interstate 55 near Lexington. Authorities have said 37-year-old Trayvon C. Little of Springfield died from multiple gunshot wounds after an exchange of gunfire with Illinois State Police troopers. The incident was captured on body camera footage released in March.

The case information was given to the McLean County State's Attorney's Office for review; the office has not brought charges against the state police troopers.

New law, ordinance aim to combat gun violence

On Feb. 10, Gov. JB Pritzker signed Karina's Bill into law, requiring police to confiscate firearms from a person who has an order of protection against them when the alleged victim successfully seeks firearm removal as a remedy in court.

The law honors Karina Gonzalez, who was shot and killed alongside her daughter Daniela in July 2023. Two weeks before her death, Gonzalez had filed an order of protection against her husband — the man now charged with murder in their deaths. As part of the order, his Firearm Owner’s Identification card was revoked, yet law enforcement never removed his gun from his possession.

Under the new law, counties have 90 days from its signing before they must implement it, Lane said.

"What I know of the bill and the changes in the law have been sent out to all my commanders to review," the sheriff said.

Reynolds , the county's lead prosecutor, said she anticipates adding questions about firearms to the list her office asks domestic violence victims, which is used to score a defendant's relative dangerousness.

If the new law applies, the court could then authorize a search warrant on the defendant's residence, and law enforcement would be able to seize firearms found in the residence, she said.

"We have plans to sit down with the sheriff and figure out how to streamline that process. We also plan to speak with the judiciary to make sure they're on board with that process, or if they have opinions or demands," Reynolds said.

When the law is implemented, Lane said, the McLean County Sheriff's Office might have to find additional storage for seized firearms or enlist the help of other local agencies.

"That could be a challenge for us that we're looking into, but we're trying to get ahead of it and make sure we're prepared," Lane said.

In local policy change, the Normal Town Council approved an ordinance in December in response to the fatal pop-up party shooting in September. The ordinance adds fines for gatherings of 10 or more people that also have related disruptive or criminal activity and changes the nightly closing time for town parks from 11 p.m. to 9 p.m.

"Looking back at lessons learned, it was really a call to action, not only for the police department, but elected officials, town administration and the community," Petrilli said.

Normal Police Chief Steve Petrilli talks about gun violence on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, at the Normal Police Department.

Gun crime is 'always prevalent'

In May 2024, Matthews and her family said they received some justice when 24-year-old Sterling was sentenced to a 75-year prison term. But Matthews said as long as gun violence continues, she will always be reminded of her son's death.

Just a few months later, Matthews heard the sound of gunshots outside her home, and, through her window, she saw two young men with guns.

"It is always prevalent, all around. You never know when something is going to happen," Matthews said. "My son just passed away, and gun violence — it still happens."

Kiejoun Watts at his sister's graduation.

This year, Watts would have celebrated his golden birthday on April 23, Matthews said.

" Like I said in my victim impact statement, (Sterling) didn't just kill Kiejoun," she said. "He affected me, (Kiejoun's) brothers, sisters, friends and his whole family. Everybody has to live with it every single day."

Matthews advocates against gun violence with McLean County Moms Demand Action, a local chapter of the national advocacy group that strives to end gun violence in America.

Matthews said law enforcement must to continue their work to get guns off the streets, while also educating youth about the harms of gun crime.

"It's a shadow, and it never leaves," she said.

New ballistic devices help connect gun crimes

Janssen said the Bloomington Police Department uses the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network to track and connect gun crimes.

Investigators use a device that takes 360-degree photographs to analyze the depth of a firing pin, scrapes and distinguishing marks of bullets. They then use a database to determine whether recovered shell casings were from the same gun, Janssen said.

"We have this in-house and can directly tie our cases to outside agencies and see a history of what the gun has been involved in," he said.

Bloomington is the only local department with this device, but Janssen said they would be willing to share the device with other agencies if needed.

Lane said ballistics are often used to connect crimes.

Sheriff Matt Lane discusses gun violence on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025,at the McLean County Sheriff's Office.

"That's going to be a very useful tool. We have a good relationship with Bloomington and Normal. If we need it, or need to compare something, we would be able to do that," Lane added.

The ballistics network device was implemented in October. From October to December, 19 firearms and 25 individual rounds were processed. Sixteen of those were connected to previous cases in Illinois and other nearby states.

Bloomington and Normal police departments have also increased their use of technology with automated license plate readers and public safety cameras.

"We're always working towards decreasing any type of gun violence," Petrilli said. "We put a lot of emphasis on youth in the schools, interventions and discussions through our school resource officers."

Normal Police Chief Steve Petrilli talks about gun violence on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, at the Normal Police Department.

Law enforcement leaders from the three local agencies said they encourage officers to be proactive in removing illegal guns from the streets in addition to preventative work.

"The amount of guns that are being seized, it's a testament to good police work, good quality people out there doing their job, so I'm happy with our results," Lane said.

Sprouting: How typical seed investment values have shot up over the past decade

Sprouting: How typical seed investment values have shot up over the past decade

Whether it's a seasoned founder hoping to launch their next startup or a first-time entrepreneur trying to take a side hustle to the next level, the vast majority of companies need outside funding to turn their vision into reality.

That's easier said than done. Market factors, economic conditions, and industry trends all play into a given startup's appeal to outside investors. Pouring capital into an emerging company carries risk, but there's also enormous potential for startups to deliver major revenue growth. Big, bold ideas that can transform an industry and make an impact are exciting—and young firms are essential for economic growth and job creation.

Getting in on the ground floor of a startup has clear appeal to some investors, but funding doesn't happen all at once. Startups go through different stages of funding as they grow, starting from the pre-seed and seed stages through Series A, B, C, and sometimes D rounds. At the pre-seed and seed stage, small and less established startups are still trying to assess the viability of their product or service. Their goal is to prove to future investors that they have the ability to grow and scale.

Typical investors for startups at this stage are friends and family, angel investors, and the founders themselves. Product development, market research, and hiring a management team are some common expenses that seed funding supports.

For investors and financial institutions that put capital toward these early funding rounds, investments in new companies with rapid growth potential are less risky and have fewer long-term commitments than later stages of funding. That makes it appealing—especially for investors who want to get in on the ground floor of the next big venture.

The size of seed rounds also increased, along with valuations, or the determination of a company's worth. The value of startup deals has increased across all stages of funding over the past decade—with seed deals leading the way. Median seed deal values have grown consistently since 2014, reaching a high of $3.1 million in 2024. The venture capital market overall has been moving toward earlier funding rounds, with pre-seed and early-stage deal values also tripling over the past 10 years. That's in contrast to late-stage deals, which have experienced lower growth.

Funding Rounds used data from PitchBook to analyze trends in deal values by startup funding round between 2014 and 2024 and to see what it means for investors.

Seed deal growth primarily driven by select industries

Seed deals tend to be concentrated in up-and-coming industries; it's no surprise that artificial intelligence startups have caught the attention of investors. Nearly half of all deal value in 2024 went to AI companies, including the top five largest deals in Q4. Databricks, the AI cloud and data analytics platform, had the single largest funding round, raising $10 billion in venture capital in 2024.

It was followed by OpenAI, which raised $6.6 billion , and Elon Musk's xAI, which had two rounds that each raised $6 billion . Anthropic, the AI startup that has prioritized the safety of using AI chatbots, was another big winner in the funding market. Though it initially delayed the launch of its chatbot Claude out of concerns about the potential harms of such a powerful AI model (which allowed rival OpenAI to beat it to the market), Anthropic has since attracted an investment of $4 billion from Amazon in November 2024, on top of the $1.25 billion it received the year prior.

Other AI startups that had significant rounds of funding in 2024 included Waymo, G42, CoreWeave, and Wayve. In total, nearly 30% of all deals in 2024 were for AI startups, triple the amount from a decade ago.

At the seed stage, investors were especially enthusiastic about companies applying artificial intelligence to health care, in areas such as diagnostics, pharmaceutical research, and administrative automation. AI-assisted diagnostics was one of the more popular areas with startups: Floy, which developed AI-driven software that helps radiologists detect abnormalities, raised nearly $6 million . Investors were also interested in startups using AI to better understand immune response. New York-based Jona, which raised $5 million , promises to help consumers better understand the relationship between the microbiome and health using AI.

Other top sectors for seed investors included space tech, construction, and fintech companies focused on the carbon economy. Such startups have raised millions of dollars to tackle a variety of challenges, such as asteroid mining, satellite design, construction permitting automation, and renewable energy financing.

While innovation startups in health, technology, and energy saw increased funding, consumer-facing startups have fallen out of favor with seed investors, with backing for cannabis, food and beverage, and e-commerce businesses in decline. The number of seed deals in consumer products have declined since reaching a high of 129 deals in early 2021, hitting a decade low of just 31 deals in Q3 2024 . Median seed valuations for startups in this sector likewise fell to $11 million in Q3 2024 after reaching a high of $18 million just two quarters prior.

Overall, the size of seed rounds has been growing as more venture capital firms move toward investing in earlier stages. In addition to increasing deal sizes, valuations have also been rising. According to Carta, an equity management software company, the median valuation of seed-stage startups hit a record high of $14.8 million in Q3 2024. Median seed valuations ranged between $11.4 million and $12.5 million between Q3 2022 and Q1 2024 before jumping up by nearly 20% in the second half of 2024.

Dilution, or the share of ownership given up during funding, has not changed as much over the past few years, declining only slightly to 20% in Q3 2024. Dilution has been mostly flat since 2020, between 20 and 21%; 20% dilution is typically the established industry standard for a new seed investment.

While seed-stage companies have benefited from investor enthusiasm, fewer of them have been able to advance to later stages of funding. According to Crunchbase, only 20% of startups that had a seed round in 2022 have moved on to a Series A or later round of funding, compared to 61% of seed startups in 2018.

As startups struggle to prove their ability to grow, many will remain stuck in the seed rounds or shut down entirely, leading to significant losses for the venture capital firms that funded them. Whether investors' bets on these young companies pay off remains to be seen.

Story editing by Alizah Salario. Additional editing by Elisa Huang. Copy editing by Tim Bruns.

This story originally appeared on Funding Rounds and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

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